Child no Jutsu
by Selkit-Guardian
Summary: A jutsu goes wrong and Naruto is turned into a small child with no memory of his teammates. Sasuke is assigned to care for him... Protective!Sasuke and Child!Naruto Eventual Sasu/Naru
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I in no way own Naruto! If I did I'd be rich and famous. Also, this is a eventual (and probably _very_ mild) SasuNaru. Don'tlike, don't read!  
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"All right my faithful students, today we'll be learning a new technique called the _Tsuchi Kiretsu no Jutsu._" Kakashi announced cheerfully, his visible eye curving up into a half moon. "Although I must warn you that this jutsu can be highly unpredictable if you mess it up. So…don't mess it up!"

"Which means the dobe will mess it up within five minutes," the raven teen lounging nearby replied with a smirk at his blond teammate.

"I will not! Take that back you-"

"Ma ma, settle down you two," Kakashi reprimanded lazily.

"Yeah Naruto, shut up and stop being so annoying!" the pink haired girl snapped from where she sat, "And stop bothering Sasuke, he's got better things to do than waste time on you."

His pink haired teammate didn't notice the blonde's flinch at her words, although it was quickly masked by a sheepish grin. Sasuke, who did notice the recoil, raised an eyebrow at him and received a glare in return.

"All right, now watch closely, because I'm only going to show you this once." He moved through a series of complicated hand signs rapidly.

_ 'rat, tiger, dog, horse, ram, pig, rat, tiger…'_

"_Tsuchi Kiretsu no Jutsu!"_

A massive fissure opened up in the ground, swallowing trees and boulders in its path before finally ending after spanning half of the training ground.

"Alright, there you have it! Sasuke, you're up first!"

"Hn."

Sasuke repeated the motions and the fissure once again formed, taking out everything in its path and earning an admiring cheer from his pink haired teammate, Sakura.

"Yeah! Sasuke, you're the best! Whoo!!!"

"Very good Sasuke," Kakashi said, motioning for the raven to return to his seat.

"That's nothing! Watch this!" Naruto yelled, hopping up and starting to form the seals as well.

_ 'rat, tiger, horse, dog, ram, pig, tiger, rat'_

"No you dobe, you mixed-"

A cloud of thick smoke surrounded Naruto, completely obscuring him from view.

"Baka!"

"Oh dear…"

Sasuke walked toward the dispersing cloud of smoke, waving the smoke away from his face as he approached the barely visible orange bundle on the ground. "Oy, dobe, you still alive?" He reached out to shake his shoulder only to withdraw his hand quickly as the smoke cleared enough to see that there was no one _in_ the clothes.

_ 'Great, the dobe is running around somewhere naked…how did he manage that?!'_

A muffled squeak sounded from the pile of clothing and the pile moved slightly.

_ 'What?'_

Sasuke pulled back the bright orange jacket, revealing a very small and scared looking Naruto.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Some people have asked if I could make chapters longer. I WILL do this, it just probably won't be very long until ****_next_**** chapter. It just takes me a bit to work up long chapters. I promise, they will be longer! In the mean time, thankyou for all the reviews, I love getting them!!!**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, characters may be a little OOC, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

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Sasuke pulled back the bright orange jacket, revealing a very small and scared looking Naruto.

Sasuke almost blanced in shock, then took a moment to observe him. Naruto couldn't have been older then four years old, he was so small. Terrified blue eyes, as clear and bright as a tropical ocean, peered up into his own onyx black eyes as he sank further back into his now far oversized clothes, submerging until only his face was visible.

Now there are a few things you have to understand about Sasuke. He was a ninja, and a Uchiha no less; a prodigy and therefore highly observant. And he was quite certain that Naruto hadn't been quite so… beat up before the jutsu.

Bruises covered a good portion of the child's face and what he had seen of his body before he had reburied himself in his clothes. They ranged from the fresh few hour old bruises to faded, almost healed yellow spots. Scratches, both small enough to be made from running through thr brush in the forests or big enough to have been caused by a small knife littered the small doll-like body. Dirt dulled the normally vibrant sunny blond hair and there was a certain thinness that wasn't healthy in adults, let alone small children. His arms looked frail and almost twig-like, like they would snap if handled too roughly.

"Idiot!" Sakura screamed, marching up to the pile of clothes and towering over it, face red as a tomato, eyes flashing furiously, "Why do you always have to mess up? What were you thin-"

"WHAH!"

She blanched as he started to cry noisily, small body heaving with desperate sobs, crystalline tears falling from scrunched up blue eyes. He somehow managed to burrow himself even further into his baggy clothes, body shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Mentally rolling his eyes at his pink haired teammate's stupidity (because a Uchiha would _never_ roll their eyes publicly) he reached out and scooped up the orange clad bundle, propping him on his hip. He reached out in an act of spontaneity and gently wiped away the tears trickling down the child's face, an unknown emotion swelling throughout his chest.

"Hn. Stop crying dobe."

Watery blue eyes peered up at him cautiously. With a long suffering sigh, Sasuke walked over to Kakashi and attempted to hand over his burden. Attempted being the key word.

As soon as he felt the boy holding him attempt to transfer him to the strange silver haired man, Naruto held on tightly to his raven protector, gripping his shirt tightly and whimpering softly. His face buried tentatively into the older boy's shirt, le locked his frail legs around Sasuke's waist as best as he could with them being so tangled up in his clothes. He didn't want the older boy to go... even if he only got to hold on for a few moment more before the dark haired boy realized who- _what_- he was, he wanted this feeling of safety and comfort to last as long as possible.

"No, no, no, no," he muttered, burying his face in the dark blue shirt more firmly.

Sasuke looked up at Kakashi to demand assistance but paused. A look of lazy amusement was spreading across the jounin's face, almost like a cat looking at it's prey. Sasuke didn't think he liked that look…

"Alright, since Naruto seems to be so attached to you Sasuke, you can hold onto him until we can get him to the Hokage."

No, he really didn't like that look

~*~

"What do you mean you can't fix him?!"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, characters may be a little OOC, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

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"What do you mean you can't fix him?!"

Honey brown eyes narrowed at the fuming raven teen. Flicking a lock of blond hair out of her eyes, the busty blond hunched over her desk

"I mean exactly what I said brat. This jutsu was highly unpredictable. It's never produced the same screw up twice. It shouldn't have even been _taught_ to you." She aimed a hot glare at the lazy jounin lounging by the door. He offered her a lazy half moon eye and raised his hands placatingly.

"Ma, I had merely thought that they could use a bit of a challenge."

"You shouldn't have-"

"Quiet!" Sasuke hissed, glaring death at both adults. He actually had reason to be angry at this point, though. Not only had he had to carry his teammate turned child across the village, but he also had to deal with the weird looks people kept throwing his way. Or to be more specific, at the child in his arms. One of them had even dared to throw a stone their way (resulting in said person receiving a fist to the face courtesy of Sasuke). Therefore, it fell to reason that the Uchiha was confused, annoyed, and well on the way to developing a headache. Not to mention that all the screaming had made Naruto (who still refused to let go of him) grip him tighter.

Tsunade's glare softened slightly as the normally cold and stoic Uchiha patted Naruto awkwardly on the head. Hm. Interesting.

"Bring him here and I'll check him over. I should be able to get rid of the bruises at least."

Sasuke walked forward willingly, relieved to have a break from carrying the child. He reached down and began to pry Naruto's tiny hands from his shirt, steadfastly ignoring the whimpers of protest. Finally managing to free himself, he set the young boy on the ground and began to peel the jacket and oversized jump pants off the thin body, leaving him standing only in his green and orange boxers that now could have served as oversized shorts. He started shivering and turned around to attempt to burrow back into the clothes only to be stopped by a pair of pale hands on his shoulders. Eyes wide, he stopped and looked up at the aristocratic face and the intense black eyes boring into his.

"Calm down. No one's going to hurt you. I won't let them."

_'I'll protect you…'_

The shivering lessened slightly, and Naruto reached up to grasp one of the much larger hands and have a small, hesitant nod, eyes staring intently at the older boy. He turned around to face Tsunade, giving Sasuke n unobscured view of his back and the large burn and bruises spanning the expanse of his back. Sasuke mentally winced at the sight. _'What happened to him?'_

He began to tug the small boy forward as gently as he could, pulling until he stood, trembling and clutching Sasuke's hand like a lifeline, but still standing, in front of Tsunade.

"Alright, let's see what we can do about all those injuries," Tsunade muttered, reaching towards Naruto, who instinctively flinched back. Ignoring the movement, Tsunade moved her hands over the injuries carefully, pausing for a few moments to heal the places that needed it. A frown marred her face momentarily when her hands passed over his ribs. Finally, she sat back with a reassuring smile. "All right, good as new."

Naruto's eyes, which had closed at some point during the procedure, popped open, looking surprised. He raised his re hand and hesitantly and began running it over his body, checking for injuries. Finding none, he gave her a shy smile before turning around and wrapping his arms around Sasuke's legs. Sasuke picked him up and sat down in one of the cushy chairs facing the desk, setting Naruto carefully on his lap. Naruto cuddled back into his arms cautiously.

Tsunade observed the interaction with interest. Still, questions needed to be asked to discern how much Naruto remembered. "Do you remember who you are?"

Naruto looked surprised, glancing up at Sasuke nervously before answering.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he said softly, relaxing when the older boy holding him didn't shove him away immediately when he answered. Maybe the boy was new to the village and hadn't heard about him yet.

"Do you know where you are?"

"The Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Do you know who these people are?"

"No."

"How old are you?"

Six."

Sasuke looked down at Naruto in surprise. He was that old? He was so small…

"Who do you live with?"

"Myself."

"No one else?"

"No…"

Nodding grimly to herself, Tsunade looked over at the team, from Kakashi who didn't look surprised (actually he was reading that orange book), to Sakura who looked annoyed that Naruto was sitting on _her_ Sasuke-kun's lap (and glaring the small blond to express her annoyance), to Sasuke who had wrapped his arm around Naruto, to Naruto himself who had sunk back into Sasuke's chest as far as he could.

"Naruto will stay with Sasuke until he has returned to normal."

The announcement was met with a screech from Sakura and a calm nod from Sasuke. Strangely, though, Naruto was the one to voice the first objection.

"He won't want me after he finds out what I am," Naruto stated blandly, looking resigned.

Brown eyes narrowed subtly. "And what exactly are you?"

"A demon brat."

Sasuke blanched and turned Naruto around on his lap to look at him. "Who told you that?"

"The villagers," Naruto muttered, tensing for the hit or yell that was sure to come.

Sasuke frowned at the answer before wrapping his arms around Naruto, pulling the distressed child closer. "The villagers are all idiots. Don't listen to them."

Naruto looked up at him with wide, disbelieving blue eyes, unmoving. Then a small smile broke out on his face and he leaned slightly into the embrace.

Tsunade watched it all contently. Perhaps the Uchiha was Naruto's chance for finally having something good…

"Well then. I guess that's settled."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, OOC Sasuke, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

Sasuke carried Naruto, rewrapped in his oversized clothes, through the village, returning the villager glares with his own patented Uchiha Death Glare ©. Naruto remained silent until they walked through the heavy iron-wrought gates of Sasuke's house.

"This is your house? It's _huge_!" Naruto exclaimed, blue eyes wide.

Sasuke spared a glance at his house, trying to see it as Naruto must be seeing it. In his opinion it looked more like a fortress than a house. Dark wood walls contrasted with the thick boundary of dark, heavy trees that surrounded it. The walkways around the sides of the house were swept and neatly polished, gleaming softy in the pale moonlight. His was the largest house in the compound due to the fact of who his father had been. His father had always emphasized the importance of informing other people of his family's importance and wealth. It appeared to be a mansion to any passing stranger, but to Naruto, who from what he had gathered had lived most of his life in a tiny one bedroom apartment, it must appear to be a castle. "Hn. I suppose it is." Stepping through the doorway, he quickly slipped out of his shoes and set the child down next to him.

"Aren't you going to tell everyone you're home?"

Sasuke looked down into the enquiring blue eyes, feeling a brief pang at the worried look in them at the thought of other people. It felt unnatural for a child to be so fearful of such an everyday thing as meeting new people.

"Hn. No. I live here alone."

Naruto's face brightened slightly before dropping again. "The silence is kinda loud, isn't it?"

He stared at the small child before giving a small nod. It was surprising that a child that young could say something so… _profound_. What had he seen in his lifetime that could have so neatly summed up what Sasuke himself could not grasp until a much later age? The possibilities were disturbing. A mental picture rose, unbidden, in his mind, of a Naruto similar to the one standing before him sitting in a tiny apartment, huddled in on himself in an attempt to protect himself from the deafening silence and the shadows of the night that would have had to be faced alone. He saw the silence morph into an obnoxious loudness meant to fill the void… _no_. He needed to stop thinking about it… he needed a distraction. "Are you hungry?"

A wary look appeared on the cherubic face. Sasuke sighed and started walking towards the kitchen, passing silently over the glossy hardwood floors and passed through the large wooden doorway and into the kitchen. He walked over to a massive stainless steel fridge, hearing Naruto enter the room behind him timidly. Pulling the heavy metal door open, he began to shuffle through the food in the fridge, looking for something suitable. Finding some leftover _oden_ from the night before. He pulled it out and set it out on the low table nearby, motioning for Naruto to sit.

Naruto's eyes went wide and be shuffled over nervously, settling down hesitantly on the _tatami_ mat. Sasuke's eyes narrowed when the child began to mumble to himself under his breath, brow wrinkling in concentration. After a moment the mumbling ceased and with a quiet "itadakimasu" the blond began to eat daintily. Sasuke looked on in surprise. _'Well… that was… well-mannered.'_ The blond even set the bowls back where they were originally on the table, setting the lid on the dish carefully before looking up at Sasuke hopefully.

"Very Good. You have excellent manners," he couldn't help but tell him. He couldn't find it in himself to regret it, however, as a wide smile split Naruto's face for a moment before he ducked his head, blushing happily at the praise.

"Who taught you?"

Blue eyes started, looking up at him nervously again. "I-I-Iruka-s-sensei. I-I asked him to though. I th-though that if I h-had better m-manners people m-m-might like me more."

"He taught you well."

The blush returned full force, lighting up the small whiskered face. His eyes didn't lower this time, however. Instead they remained fixed to Sasuke's face as a shy, delighted smile spread over his face, eyes almost glowing.

Sasuke stared at the angelic picture Naruto made before giving a very small smile in return. "C'mon. We'll take a bath and then go to sleep."

Naruto hopped up instantly, following Sasuke diligently through the maze of hallways. Naruto stayed right behind the raven teen, never running ahead or yelling like Sasuke would have expected him to do. He seemed almost scared to touch anything, although his blue eyes darted over everything they passed. Sasuke came to a momentary halt outside a large, heavy wooden door, looking down to make sure his charge was still with him. Satisfied that the tiny blond was firmly at his side and not wandering the hallways lost, Sasuke pushed open the door and led Naruto into the Uchiha's private outdoor hot springs.

The giant spring was fashioned to look like a large pool; vibrant ornamental plants lined the side of the spring. Steam wafted off the surface of the water in gentle, elegant spirals, coiling into intricate shapes before dispersing. A couple of feet of soft grass extended from all sides of the spring, ending at the tall, heavily reinforced (due to fangirls and other miscellaneous peepers) fence. A single cherry blossom tree stood at one end of the spring, its branches curving gracefully towards the water and providing a curtain and sense of privacy and peace. The entire effect was a perfectly natural appearing spring, minus a small wooden cabinet set against one side of the fence.

Naruto looked around with wide eyes as Sasuke worked carefully to divest the child of his clothes. Quickly doing the same to himself, he reached down and gripped the blond under the arms and swung him into the warm water. Naruto shuffled over, clinging to the wall as Sasuke slid into the water as well. He held his arms up to the raven teen, looking doubtful that his silent request would be fulfilled. Blue eyes widened in amazement when Sasuke reached down without hesitation and picked him up, cradling him to his chest as he waded to where the soap was located on the side of the spring.

Sasuke grabbed a hand towel from a nearby pile and poured a decent amount onto the towel before turning it onto the small body, scrubbing gently but determinedly. Gradually, the dirt disappeared and soft sun kissed skin came into view as the small body began to relax against Sasuke. Sky blue eyes slid shut contently as a feeling of being precious enough to be cared for spread over his body. He had often heard other children complain bitterly about their parents bathing them; he couldn't imagine why. This felt like pure heaven to him, as though he were a treasure worthy of being cared for.

Sasuke turned his attention to the blonde's hair, determined to return the sunny yellow color. Reaching for a bottle of orange scented shampoo and squeezed a generous amount onto the blond locks, being careful not to get any in the child's eyes. Naruto absolutely melted against Sasuke as pale hand kneaded and rubbed gently against his scalp. Sasuke blinked in surprise as Naruto began cooing softly against his chest, nuzzling contently against the ivory skin.

Finishing up quickly, Sasuke swung them both out of the water and pulled a large, fluffy towel out of the nearby cabinet, drying them both off. He pulled a pair of pajamas out as well and hastily put them on, pulling out an extra shirt for Naruto and pulling it over the blonde's head. The oversized navy blue t-shirt hung off one tanned shoulder, looking ready to slip off. Sasuke frowned.

"We'll go clothes shopping tomorrow."

Naruto blushed and stared fixedly at the floor, studying his feet." You don't have to…"

"You can't walk around in clothes that could pass for a dress."

Naruto blushed harder, shuffling his feet. "I… I don't think… that… that I can pay you back…"

"Hn. You don't need to."

Anxious blue eyes peered up at him, a glimmer of hope shining in them. "You don't need the money?"

"No. I'm rich."

"Oh…" Naruto offered him that shy smile again.

~*~

Sasuke led them through the winding hallways, walking silently through the dim light. Pausing in front of a room, he opened the door. "This will be your room."

Naruto peered around his legs, eying the room with wonder before entering. The room was a pale cream color with a thick, luxurious carpet. A large queen-sized bed with a tan comforter on it was pushed back against one wall. A large window stood nearby, looking out onto the impressive yard. A large bathroom was attached to the side of the room, the white marble gleaming softly. A small desk was nestled next to the bed, a lamp perched on it. "It-it's _huge_!"

Sasuke smirked before stepping away from the doorway. Or, trying to. Small hands seized his pant leg and an equally small body reattached itself to him. Sasuke stumbled and looked down in surprise. Frightened blue eyes met his pleadingly. "Where are you going?"

Sasuke met his gaze evenly. "My room. It's right next door." Freeing himself from the clinging hands, Sasuke left the room and entered his own pale blue room, nit bothering to increase the lighting inside by opening the curtains of the single window. Waves of exhaustion his him and he trudged over the bed, collapsing into it and pulling just the topmost cover over himself. Sleep washed over him within a few minutes of his head touching the pillow.

~*~

"Sasuke. S-Sasuke. _Sasuke_."

Sasuke sat up blearily, the covers pooling around his hips. The sight of a trembling, teary-eyed Naruto greeted him. Sighing, he lifted the cover and patted the spot next to him. Naruto scrambled into the bed with him, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's waist as the raven teen laid back down, wrapping protectively around Naruto.

Murmuring softly, Naruto closed his eyes and slipped off to sleep, Sasuke following soon after.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, OOC Sasuke, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

**And now… ****Q&A TIME****!!!**

**Q: Why do you hate Sakura so much?**

**A: I don't! Actually, I love her character. I didn't plan to make her so much of a villain in this story, but it's just the way it turned out. No offense meant to Sakura-lover's! And to her hater's… well, you probably like this story.**

**Q: Is Sasuke a pedophile?!**

**A: No, Sasuke has no romantic feelings for cute chibi Naruto and won't have any for him. His love will be strictly paternal… :D Sasuke's feelings for normal aged Naruto… now that may be a different story!**

**Q: How old is Sasuke?"**

**A: Hm… I'm going to say about 13 or 14. I'm going to pretend that the creepy snake never crawled into the picture… or at least not yet if he does come into the picture later.**

**Q: Isn't Naruto acting a bit too submissive?!**

**A: Initially yes. Think about it; he has no idea who anyone is or what has happened and is afraid of people due to the abuse he suffered. Don't worry though; he won't remain like that for long. The Naruto you all know and love begins to shine through in this chapter! :D**

**Q: Would Naruto be able to recognize Sasuke and Sakura since he knew them when he was younger.**

**A: The answer is yes. He just doesn't **_**realize**_** that he knows them! At a young age they weren't friends really, so he'll probably assume that the Sasuke and Sakura he knew at a young age are related to their older versions. So yes, he does remember them and know them, he just doesn't realize them.**

**And finally…**

**Q: Will Naruto ever turn back?!**

**A: That would be telling, wouldn't it? *diabolical laugh***

**Anyway, that's it for Q&A portion! Now, onto the story portion! *Cuddles chibi Naruto***

A week had passed since Naruto had come into Sasuke's care. The first day had been spent getting clothes…

_Flashback_

_Sasuke snarled in fury, marching stiffly down the street with Naruto scurrying after him, clinging to his hand for dear life as the oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts he was wearing threatened to trip him._

_Villagers threw themselves out of the way of the raging Uchiha, pushing up against the walls of the shops to avoid him._

_Sasuke leveled them with his patented Uchiha Death Glare. What was _wrong_ with these people? This was the tenth children's clothing store that had suggested going elsewhere, refused to sell to him, or, in the case of the last one, just outright threw them out of the store. Who did these people think they were?!_

"_Uchiha!"_

_His head snapped around to glare at the person who had called his name. Tsunade glared right back as she walked over to him._

"_They. won't. sell. me. clothes. for. him!!!" he ground out, gritting his teeth hard enough to feel his jaw popping under the strain._

"_Ah…yes. IK had thought of that this morning. You may want to consider taking him to one of the newer stores; I would suggest the one about three streets down from here. It's only been there about two years and is family owned and run, so you're likely to receive a warmer welcome there."_

_Sasuke raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "And why would them being new make them any more likely to sell?"_

_Honey brown eyes flashed in annoyance. "Does it matter?!"_

_A soft tugging on his pant leg distracted him from delivering a sharp retort. Timid blue eyes peered up at him. "I…I d-don't _need_ new clothes…"_

_The eyebrow arched higher. "Yes, you do." With a sharp nod to the Hokage, Sasuke turned on his heel and began to pull the small blond towards the aforementioned store._

_End Flashback_

The shopping trip had ended surprisingly well. True to Tsunade's word, the shop had welcomed their business with open arms, gleefully supplying them with the vast amounts of clothes that Sasuke had insisted upon for Naruto. And if the store clerk had found Naruto's unwillingness to let go of Sasuke's hand strange, she thankfully hadn't said anything. She had merely tied back her long black hair before setting down to the daunting task of trying to fit the small blond with new clothes while said blond attempted to remain attached to his guardian. Eventually a large assortment of clothes, from pants to socks to shirts to underwear had been picked out. Sasuke also added a formal blue yukata with soft gold swirls and the Uchiha symbol sewn onto the back to the pile for any big occasions that might occur. The blond had walked out of the store with a surprising amount of confidence (probably due to the fact he now looked like an actual child instead of a pile of clothes).

His confidence had continued to grow in the week that had passed since then, advancing to the point that he would now run through the hallways in the Uchiha compound and (to Sasuke's chagrin) become much louder and livelier. Despite these advancements, there were a few things that had remained constants. Naruto still insisted on sleeping with Sasuke at night and still begged the older teen to take bathes with him in the hot spring. The blond also remained highly affectionate to the Uchiha, choosing more often than not to sit in the stoic teen's lap rather then other available seats. Sasuke found he didn't have it in him to reprimand Naruto after the first time he attempted to and received a look of pure betrayal and hurt in return.

All in all, Naruto's confidence had shot through the roof. And now, it was time to test how strong that confidence was.

"Naruto."

Naruto's head shot up at the sound of his name, grinning widely when he caught sight of his guardian.

"Sasuke!"

He clambered to his feet, abandoning the cartoons he had been watching, and ran to the raven, wrapping his arms around his knees and smiling widely up at him. "What's for lunch? I'm _starving_!"

Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes at the over exaggeration and pried the tan arms off of him. "Hn. We're going out for lunch."

"Out?" Blue eyes became troubled for a moment before brightening. "Yeah! We'll see the town and have a really great meal together, right?"

Sasuke nodded vaguely and started for the door, Naruto hot on his heels.

~*~

The two of them wandered through the village, heading towards Ichiraku Ramen, ignoring the muttering from the crowds around them. Naruto wore one of his new outfits, a setoff plain black pants and an orange shirt decorated with pictures of kunai and shuriken and proclaiming "Kiss me, I'm a shinobi!". Apparently his love of orange was still alive and kicking.

They entered the shop quickly, Naruto holding onto Sasuke's hand, only to see someone else already there…

"Sakura?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly, eyes widening.

True enough, none other than Sakura was perched on the end of one of the stools, looking incredibly out of place in a short pink dress and high heeled shoes. She swung around at the sound of his voice, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, hi! I knew that you'd be here eventually, with Naruto's atrocious appetite and all! Poor thing, you must be exhausted by now, having to look after that little annoyance. Hey, I have an idea! How about you give him to someone else to watch for a couple hours and come on a date with me? Ne, doesn't that sound like fun Sasuke-kun?!" And without further ado she lunged forward and latched her self onto Sasuke's arm.

~*~

Naruto watched from the sidelines as the pink girl clung to Sasuke's arm. He knew her from somewhere… had he seen her before? Oh! That's right; she was there when Sasuke found him and when he was taken to the big busted blond lady. She had seemed really angry then, yelling and screeching at him. Actually, she was starting to make more loud noises now… Naruto flinched as another squealed "Sasuke-kun!" reached his ears.

Sasuke managed to remove himself long enough to order their food from a kind looking old man who smiled and gave the blond a friendly wink before turning to make the food. Within minutes a large steaming bowl was placed in front of him and a pair of chopsticks placed nearby. Naruto eagerly grabbed them and dug into the food enthusiastically, listening to the yells of the pinkette and the huffs of the annoyed raven as he managed to sit down next to the blond and begin eating himself.

The girl sat down at the seat next to him and continued in her attempts to lure Sasuke away, offering idea after idea on how to get Naruto away from him for long periods of time.

Naruto chewed thoughtfully on the remnants of his ramen, listening carefully to what was being said. Would Sasuke really pass him off to some strangers? Was Naruto rally bothering him as much as the pink appeared to believe? No… Sasuke wasn't the type to let someone annoy them and not let them know it. And beside, he looked way more annoyed with the pink girls than he _ever_ had with him…

Naruto frowned as the pinkette latched herself firmly onto the raven's arm again, looking as though she was trying to mold herself to him. He didn't like her doing that to his Sasuke…

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, here's an idea! Let's just leave him here, he probably won't even notice if you order him another bowl first and then sneak out. Then we can go straight to the Hokage and ask tell her you want someone else to baby-sit him, although he's so annoying I'm not sure _who_ she'll find. Ooh, and then you can stay at my house so he won't be able to find you and pester you-"

"NO!"

Naruto leapt to his feet and jumped into Sasuke's lap, planting his feet firmly on the barstool and glaring as menacingly as he could at the girl while trying to push her forcefully away. He stood up, blue eyes spitting hellfire. "No, no, no, no! You can't have him! _HE'S MINE_!!!"

~*~

Sakura recoiled violently as the rest of the shop patrons looked on in a mix of horror and amusement. Sasuke felt a blush start creeping up his neck as multiple pairs of eyes became fixed on the three of them. He didn't have time to ponder the cause, however, as a pair of teary blue eyes turned to look into his own onyx black ones.

Naruto stared up at the dark teen pleadingly, wrapping his arms around his pale neck. "You're mine, right?" he whispered desperately, ignoring the stuttering pink haired girl behind him, "We have fun together right? You don't want to go with her and you don't hate me, right?"

Faced with the pleading blue eyes, Sasuke couldn't do anything other than nod faintly.

Naruto grinned widely before lunging forward to give him a quick hug before turning his attention back to the rest of the shop. "See? He's _mine_, and no one can take him from me!" The last part was aimed at Sakura, who was now trembling and red faced with fury.

The shop owner leaned over and grinned at Sasuke conspiratorially. "You do know that he'll never let go of you now, right?"

Sasuke felt that this would be an appropriate time to bow out before any further damage was caused to his pride.

~*~

Sasuke glared at the pouting blond once they were safely back home and away from the prying eyes of the villagers. He didn't think he had ever been so embarrassed in his entire life…

"Well? Is there any reason you caused a scene like that?"

The blond studied his toes, not looking very remorseful at all. "She was trying to take you away from me… and she can't do that. You take care of me and protect me and… and.." The blond looked lost for a moment before resolve strengthened his gaze again.

Sasuke sighed at the petulant look, unable to resist reaching out and ruffling the surprisingly soft blond locks. With a sigh he walked to the living room and sat down, staring blankly out the window. Apparently Naruto's confidence was doing fine if the blond was able to stand up to Sakura in such a… public.. way.

Naruto edged into the room after him, glancing at the couch warily to discern id the raven was still angry with them. With a sigh, Sasuke patted the seat next to him. Naruto grinned widely and catapulted onto the cushion, snuggling into Sasuke's side.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke rolled his head lazily towards the sound of the voice, meeting questioning blue eyes.

"Hn?"

Naruto tapped his finger together nervously, not meeting his gaze. "Um, when I go back to the Academy, can you help me with something?"

Black eyes urged the blond to continue.

"Well.. you see… there's this guy in my class… he's really quiet and he doesn't seem to like talking to other people that much but…but I want to be friends with him." Naruto peered upwards hopefully.

"And does this boy have a name?"

Naruto blushed slightly. "Of course he does! I just… I kinda don't _know_ it, is all."

Sasuke refrained from rolling his eyes with extreme difficulty. The dobe didn't even know the name of someone he wanted to be friends with? Still, he was curious as to who Naruto had wanted to be friends with at this age. _'Hm… quiet and anti-social… maybe Shino or even Shikamaru?'_

"Well what does this person look like?"

"Well, he has really dark hair-"

'_Definitely Shino or Shikamaru…'_

"And he's really mysterious!"

'_I guess that's Shino then…'_

"And he's got really pretty black eyes! He looks just like you Sasuke, only he's younger and smiles more. He's got a really nice smile and he's really strong and smart. Just like you! Hey, are you two brothers?"

Sasuke sat frozen in shock.

'_He wanted to be friends… with _me_?"_


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, OOC Sasuke, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

**____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

Sasuke sauntered casually down the crowed street, weaving in and out of the groups of people. Naruto perched proudly on his shoulders, hands buried in the inky black tresses.

Naruto swung his feet excitedly as they approached their destination, the old Hidden Leaf Orphanage. According to some records that Sasuke had found in the Hokage Tower while searching for a way to reverse the jutsu on Naruto, he had found a list of records from the orphanage with Naruto's name on it. He had asked Naruto, who had confirmed that he had lived there until very recently and had only just received his apartment.

The building came into view, looking very run down yet somehow homey. As they stepped inside a gnarled old women looked up from the desk, leaning heavily on her cane and the desk.

"How may I help ye boys?" she asked in a dry, croaky voice, squinting in their direction out of filmy eyes. "At least I think you're boys. Forgive an old woman's bad eyes if ye are not."

Sasuke felt Naruto squirm excitedly on his shoulders as the blond leaned towards the elder.

"Granny Chie!" he chirped, waving eagerly.

The old woman frowned and began shuffling towards them. "Little Naru-chan? What are ye doing here? Ye should be long gone by now."

Sasuke stepped forward before things could get out of hand. "We're here by the orders of the Hokage to pick up any of Naruto's old belongings."

The old woman frowned again before shuffling towards a beaten looking closet, muttering to herself. She managed to pull the door open with a fair amount difficulty and pointed towards one of the boxes inside. "That is what ye are searching for then." She shuffled slowly away from the door and went to sit heavily in one of the decrepit chairs, huffing tiredly.

Sasuke pulled the box down carefully, wary of other boxes falling down as well. He crouched down, opening the box as a cloud of dust puffed off of it. Naruto took the chance to slide down from his shoulders and scampered over to the old woman.

The raven began to pull item out of the box, ranging from broken toys to old clothes that looked ready to fall apart by this point. He shuffled through a set of old pictures that had been drawn by the blond, looking through them casually to see if there was anything worth looking at in there. He grunted in annoyance as he saw that they were all just pictures of trees and buildings and threw them down in annoyance.

A smaller slip of paper slipped out of the pile, fluttering down at his feet. He picked it up, looking it over with surprise. It was a class picture of Naruto's first day at the Academy. He remembered the day himself, how proud and excited he felt as he stood waiting for the picture to be taken and how nervous he felt about doing well in class. He found Naruto in the picture, looking delighted and terrified at the same time. Sasuke jolted in surprise as he realized that he and Naruto were standing next to each other in the picture. Was it his imagination or was the picture Naruto leaning closer to him than he was the child on the other side of him…?

"Granny Chie? How did I get with Sasuke?" Naruto's voice carried over to the raven teen, making him swing around to look at Naruto where the blond sat at the elder's feet. Said blond flushed suddenly. "Not that I'm upset! I'm really not- well actually I'm rally happy and I really love that I'm with Sasuke and I've never been happier! But… I don't really remember how we met or when… well, when he filled out the sheets to adopt me." He stopped speaking, still blushing.

The old woman leaned back in her seat so it creaked alarmingly, looking at the child out of surprisingly shrewd eyes. "Well, what is the last thing ye remember child?"

"Um…" Naruto rolled his eyes as he tried to recall, "Oh! That new group of boys that came in that day had beat me up. Well, the villagers had already got to me, but then those boys did too! I was _really_ sore and I didn't want to move, so you said I didn't have to go outside to play and that I could just laid down on the couch to take a nap. So… I did! And then when I woke up I was with Sasuke."

Sasuke felt dread curl in the pit of his stomach. If the old woman revealed what how long ago that had truly been who knew how Naruto would react?

"Ah, yes, _now_ I remember," she said, nodding her head sagely, "While you were napping, this young man… Sasuke, you said his name was? Anyway, he came in wanting to adopt a child. He saw you sleeping on the couch and decided that he could have no other! Yes indeed, no other child would do! He wouldn't even look at them or hear of looking at them once he saw you. He didn't want to give anyone else the chance to adopt you before he could, so he adopted you then and there. As a matter of fact he carried you out while you were still sleeping!"

Naruto turned to his guardian, eyes glowing adoringly. "_Really_?"

Sasuke nodded, not knowing what else to say.

The elder stood up abruptly, moving surprisingly fluidly for her age. "Well, enough chit-chat! You two have gotten what you came for, now out! Enough crowding up my waiting area. Go on, scat!"

Naruto grinned and waved cheerfully before skipping out the door. Sasuke followed hurriedly, bowing to the crone as he passed her. "Thank you…"

"Humph!" she snapped looking annoyed, "I am old, not stupid! Now stop insulting my intelligence and get out!"

~*~

They were going in the direction of Naruto's apartment next by order of the Hokage to, as she put it, 'see if anything there triggered Naruto's memory'. Dusk was just falling and the village nightlife was beginning to emerge to its fullest. The light in the shops flickered uncertainly as they got closer to the apartment building, as though unsure of their ability to remain on.

Sasuke swore it should be darker than it was though…

"FIRE!" someone up ahead screamed.

An explosion rocked the street as a ghostly orange glow filled the sky. Naruto yelped and jumped onto Sasuke, clinging to him.

Sasuke hissed through his teeth and took off for the apartment at a run, feet slapping against the pavement rapidly as they drew nearer the screams and roar of the fire. He turned the corner and stopped with a sharp gasp, staring at the spectacle in front of him in disbelief. The entire building was engulfed in a vortex of flames. The dry timber creaked and snapped menacingly as sparks rained down, littering the ground. Flames leapt from every window and from the roof, reaching towards the sky like fingers as smoke blotted out the sky.

A group of people cheered from in front of the inferno, laughing raucously and stomping their feet in a sort of war dance. All of them wore thick, heavy cloaks and masks as well as gloves and boots. Even from a distance Sasuke could smell the alcohol and the scent of unwashed bodies.

Naruto whimpered and shivered as one of the people turned to look in their direction and Sasuke couldn't prevent a shudder of his own. The mask was in the shape of a fox's face, teeth bared in a horrible grimace and teeth painted red, making the mask look bloody in the eerie firelight. Steaks of red along the mask only added to the image of a bloodthirsty predator after a successful hunt.

The person pointed at them crudely and laughed, spreading its arms wide and gesturing vaguely at the hellfire lashing the sky behind it. "Demon lovers beware! This is the fate that'll meet ya!"

With a final tortuous groan the supports of the building gave way and the building collapsed inward, imploding under the force of the heat and the strain. A cheer rose from the assembled crowd.

Sasuke felt too choked to speak. This was how they treated someone who had never done anything to them; who had risked his life countless times to protect them, who had sworn his loyalty to the village and the people in it?

Naruto began to cry and buried his head into Sasuke's stomach, sobbing. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm s-so-sorry!"

Sasuke scooped the child into his arms, glaring death at the jeering crowd. "_You_ didn't do _anything_. _They're_ the idiots here."

Before he could say anything more a shriek pierced the air. He turned around to see Sakura standing a few feet behind him, staring incredulously at the smoldering building. Her jade green eyes took in the carnage before narrowing dangerously and locking onto the crowd. _"What is wrong with you people?_ I understand he's annoying but _this_… this is taking things to far! What… _what_ in heaven and hell did he _ever_ do to you that was worth this?"

The crowd twittered before one of them stepped forward, bowing mockingly. "We don't need an excuse to exterminate a demon young lady."

Sakura looked ready to kill.

"What do you mean "a demon"? The only demons I see here are you!" Sasuke hissed derisively, shifting Naruto so he was propped on his hip.

"Ask your beloved Hokage if you want to know so badly!" the crowd laughed tauntingly, starting to back away as more people began to arrive on the scene.

Sakura looked at the crowd with an expression that Sasuke had never seen on her face before. The normal simpering and defenseless posture was gone; in it's place stood a young woman looking ready to face the world, shoulders firms and back, head thrown high in a clear challenge. Her eyes glittered coldly and her voice held a sharp bite as she replied. "Oh, trust me, we will. But if you ever, _ever_ threaten _either_ of my team mates again, so help me, you will regret it!"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**AN: Yes, Sakura is finally acting like such a person. My reasoning for this abrupt about face is this: 1) Because Sasuke never left, Sakura never quite matured until now. 2) She thinks Naruto is annoying, but she doesn't want him **_**dead**_**. 3) She is still a ninja! So seeing her team mates in trouble, it makes sense that it would slap some sense into her. Don't get me wrong, she still thinks Naruto is annoying, but she doesn't want to see her comrades dead.**

**The only question now is how long her maturity will last! ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, OOC Sasuke, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

**___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

Sasuke watched as Sakura stormed into the Hokage Tower, feeling impressed in spite of himself. No one had dared to stop the raging pinkette on the streets or even as they approached the Tower. Most of them actually dove out of her way in a manner which his own Uchiha Death Glare had never quite managed to inspire. Naruto stumbled after them, watching the kuniochi as she effortlessly parted the crowd waiting nearby and stormed into the office. Sasuke followed quickly with Naruto, closing the door firmly behind them and ignoring the protests of the waiting people.

Tsunade looked up in time to see Sakura slam her hands forcefully against the solid desk, making it creak ominously and scattering the mountain of papers piled there. Honey brown eyes narrowed in agitation. "_What_?" she hissed, standing up and slamming her hands against the desk as well, making the desk groan under the strain.

Sakura glared back, refusing to be intimidated. "You owe us an explanation!"

Tsunade frowned at them, settling back into her chair with a huff. "What are you talking about? You march into my office like you own it, shove aside everyone else who was waiting to get in, and then you have the _gall_ to yell at me to explain something?!"

"We deserve an explanation for what we just saw and heard," Sasuke interjected, gazing at the older woman coolly. Naruto stared up at her nervously from Sasuke's side.

"And what would _that_ be?"

"We just stopped by Naruto's apartment to see if anything would look familiar to him like you ordered us to. When we arrived, however, there was already a group of people there; a group of people who were wearing demon masks. They burned his apartment down to the ground. _Nothing_ was left. And before the cowards ran away they told us something interesting. They told us that Naruto was a _demon_ and that we should ask you about it. Explain. _Now_." Sasuke finished with a cold glare, reaching down to rub at the spiky blond locks absentmindedly.

Tsunade's breath escaped her with a _whoosh_ as she collapsed further back into her chair. She suddenly looked very tired and old. "You do realize that what I tell you _cannot_, under any circumstances, leave this room, correct?" she asked, surveying them wearily.

Both Sasuke and Sakura nodded quickly.

"Fine… you may as well sit down. It's a long story."

Sakura quickly sat down in one of the two chairs in font of Tsunade's desk. Sasuke sat in the other one, pulling Naruto snugly onto his lap and wrapping his arms around the child and resting his chin on top of the bright yellow hair. Naruto leaned into Sasuke's chest and stared apprehensively at Tsunade, chewing his bottom lip fretfully.

"Where to start.. hm, I suppose the beginning. You have no doubt heard of the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox on the village. How the Fourth Hokage was the one to defeat the beast and how he died in doing so. What many people do not know it that the Fox was not killed; rather, it was sealed."

"_Sealed_?" Sakura blurted, staring at the Hokage with fascination.

"Yes, _sealed_. Not killed." Tsunade snapped, annoyed at having been interrupted. "Now, the way that this was done was this; the fox had to be sealed in someone who could handle the massive amount of chakra flooding through their body. If they weren't able to handle it they would die and the Fox would remain free. The only option was to seal it into a newborn; their chakra channels are not yet developed enough to be harmed by the onslaught of chakra and the channels will widen to adjust to the amount, no harm done to the child."

"So the Fourth Hokage sealed it into a child. What does that have to do with Naruto?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

Sasuke was silent as he absorbed the information, realization dawning on him. Tsunade's next words only confirmed his suspicions.

"It has to do with Naruto because he was the only unfortunate baby to be born that night. Actually, he was born prematurely; the council induced his mother's labor a month early without her consent and she died as a result during the birthing process."

"_Why_?" Sakura asked quietly, pleadingly, her voice almost a whisper. "Why him? Surely there were other babies they could have used, other mothers who would have _willingly_ given birth early to save their village. Why force a woman who didn't want to do it?!"

Tsunade looked up, her honey eyes filled with bitterness. "Who better to use than the Fourth Hokage's own son?"

Sakura sat back, looking stunned. "His _son_? They made him seal a demon in his _son_? After they killed his wife by _forcing_ her to give birth?"

Tsunade smiled bitterly. "They never told him that they induced the labor. They told him that the stress of the village being attacked caused her to go into labor prematurely and that it was complications that killed her. He never knew of the council's treachery. He died believing them to have done everything they could to have saved her."

"Well why did he leave Naruto alone? Couldn't he have provided some to protect him? He _must_ have known how he would be treated by grieving families."

"Before he died he asked that Naruto be treated as a hero; he believed that the families would be grateful that Naruto had helped prevent the death of any other people. The Fourth was naive like that; he believed the best of everyone and always looked for the bright points; much like Naruto actually. Sadly, however, he was wrong."

Silence reigned for a few long moments.

Tsunade looked resigned. "Nevertheless, I understand if you no longer wish to look after him. Please rest assured that he cannot hurt you; at this age he has almost no ability to use the Fox's chakra. I can simply find another person to look after him if you do not wish to be troubled by the villagers or if you just don't wish to look after him any more. I ask that you don't blame him for not telling you. He was not allowed; no one was because of a decree passed soon after the sealing."

Sakura looked over at Sasuke warily, searching the teen's blank face for any emotion at all. Finding none, she quietly spoke. "S-Sasuke? Are… are you okay?"

Deep obsidian eyes stared into hesitant jade before focusing on the older woman staring intently at him, trying to gauge his reaction. Naruto had begun to shake in Sasuke's arms, his head bowed so no one could see his eyes.

"He's not him, you know."

Tsunade blinked in surprise. "What?"

Sasuke's face hardened. "_Naruto_ is not _the_ _Fox_. They are _different_. Naruto is sweet. He's kind and caring and loyal. Yeah, he's strong, and a knucklehead, and he doesn't know when to shut up, and he eats way too much ramen, but that doesn't make him a demon."

"…"

"…"

"_Really?"_

The word was whispered in a reverent tone, so soft it was barely there. Sasuke's eyes widened as Naruto turned around to look at him, eyes shimmering with some unknown emotion, almost glowing… and then he started to grow.

Sasuke gasped as the clothes ripped, suddenly far too small for the body now straddling his lap. A fully-aged Naruto crouched over him, knees on either side of the raven's hips and naked as the day he was born.

"Really Sasuke?" Naruto whispered hopefully, eagerly, eyes so close to the Uchiha's that Sasuke could see the emotions swirling in them; hope, fear, surprise, awe, and…something else.

Unable to resist the unspoken pleading in those eyes any more than he could in the younger Naruto's eyes, Sasuke caved.

"Really Naruto," he whispered back, wrapping his arms around the smooth tan waist and pulled the blond down to rest against his chest.

**AN: *cries* Nnnnooooo! I want my chibi Naruto bbaacckk!!! *hysterical sobs***

**So yes, Naruto is now back to his normal age and this story is coming to an end. There should be one more chapter after this one. –sighs-**

**But on the bright side, I now have a new plot! If any of you have ever seen the old (**_**very**_** old) tv series "Beauty and the Beast" (yes, the tv series, **_**not**_** the Disney movie or anything even close to that. I've seen too many of those to consider writing one).**

**I'll put a link in my profile to a page if you want a quick overview of what the basic plot line will be. I WILL NOT follow the plot exactly or even all that closely. It will probably only be similar in some very vague ways. It _will_ veer from the show.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would be rich and probably take over the world. But I don't, so no.**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, massive amounts of cute fluff, OOC Sasuke, adorable/ vulnerable chibi Naruto.**

**And the warning for this chapter is… SLASH!!! *fangirls cheering in the background* Yes, slash, don't like, don't read.**

Tsunade grinned, sitting back and watching the spectacle unfold in front of her. The Ice Prince himself was actually showing emotion… hm, interesting. Well, this would make what she would say next much easier.

"Sasuke."

Obsidian black eyes flew up to meet hers and his grip on Naruto tightened. Oh yes, this would be much easier indeed…

"Since Naruto's house was… well, since his home is no longer suitable for living, he shall remain with you for the time being."

She was met with a look of pure disdain, and a hint of uncertainness filled her. Maybe she had been wrong, maybe he really didn't care, oh _please_, don't let him say something to hurt Naruto, _please_…

"Of _course_ I'm taking him with me, you old hag. Has all that sake _finally_ fried your brain along with your appearance?"

"…"

"…"

"BRAT!!!"

~*~

Sasuke led a barely clothed Naruto through the streets of Konoha, glaring at any villager who leered at the pair out of a darkening black eye. Naruto wandered after him clothed only in Sasuke's shirt, looking a little dazed and confused.

One of the villagers picked up a sharp piece of glass from the street as the pair passed and Sasuke reached back unconsciously and took Naruto's hand, pulling the other teen to his side and out of dangers way. Naruto blushed brilliantly, staring at Sasuke out of wide eyes. He didn't understand why he was feeling this way, like he could rely on the raven. Sasuke had been nothing but gentle on caring since he had changed back, had never insulted him or even called him a dobe. Stupid Sasuke, he must be responsible for the fluttering feeling he had in his stomach right now! The raven must have fed him something as a child that was only kicking in now. Although Sasuke had been nothing but caring towards him as a child… but how else could he explain the way he was seeing him right now. There was no other reason for him to be noticing the inky black hair that he _knew_ was soft as silk or his milky white flawless skin or his burning black eyes that seemed to see right through him…

"So, how much do you remember?"

Naruto snapped out of his ponderings, his blush darkening a shade. "Um, what?"

He expected to receive a glare for his inattention, probably coupled with a look that suggested that he was a waste of space and time. Instead black eyes looked back at him patiently.

"How much do you remember from when you were turned into a child?"

"Oh, um," Naruto said, thinking and sorting through his memories," all of it I think."

Black eyes looked at him thoughtfully.

~*~

Naruto sat uncomfortably in Sasuke's kitchen, squirming in his seat. Taking another bite of his onigiri, he pondered over the recent turn of events.

His home had burned down, yet… he still had a home. _With Sasuke_. Ears burning, he moved onto the next thought.

Sakura was actually nice. A nice change, hopefully one that wouldn't change anytime soon.

His team mates now knew about his demon. Somehow, they didn't seem to care too much. Although he hadn't seen Sakura since he left the office…

Sasuke… what to say. He had taken care of him when he couldn't. He had put up with his clinginess. He had never acted cruelly towards him while he stayed here. Come to think about it, he couldn't remember the raven even _insulting_ him while he was a child. Actually, he wasn't even insulting him _now_.

Dropping his dirty dishes into the sink, Naruto turned and walked down the familiar halls, moving towards the hot spring. He'd figure out what to do when he got there; he always had his best ideas while taking a bath.

Opening the door connecting the house to the fenced in spring, he began to strip quickly, throwing his shirt haphazardly onto the ground and sliding into the spring. As soon as the hot water hit his skin he felt all of the tension leave his muscles.

'_Ahh… this is the life. No nagging, no worries, no dealing with any annoying villagers… just me and all of this nice hot water. And soap. I love Sasuke's soap it smells so nice, just like him… GAH! Bad Naruto, bad Naruto! Bad thoughts. Ok, think of something else, like… training! I wonder when I'm going to get back to training to be the next Hokage. I'll have to learn some new techniques to beat Sasuke… he always looks so graceful when he's fighting, like he was born to fight… and then when he takes his shirt off and you can see his muscles… GAH!_

Jerking himself upright, Naruto shook his head. No no no! He could not be thinking like this! Nothing good could come of this. Besides… Sasuke would never want him anyway. With a despondent sigh, Naruto flopped back down against the soft wall of the hot spring.

…

…

Wait… soft wall?!

Spinning around, he almost slipped and bashed his head when he saw the raven sitting calmly behind him. Oh Kami, he was sitting between his _legs_… The only thing that prevented him from falling was the pair of strong arms that quickly wrapped around his waist to steady him.

"What- what are you doing here?!"

Warm black eyes looked back at him with amusement. Wait, warm?! "I've been here. I was here when you came in. You just didn't notice me."

That said the raven reached out and dragged the blond back onto his lap.

"Sas… uke?"

"Hm?" the raven hummed as he began to comb shampoo through the sunny locks.

"Wh… what are you doing?"

"What does it look like dobe? I'm washing your hair. You really seemed to like this when you were little."

Ah, and the insults were back! He didn't want to move to hit the stoic teen though… especially when he started rubbing tiny circles into his scalp. Well, he could at least still yell at him.

"Don't call me that teme!"

~*~

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

Black eyes rose from the book their owner had been reading, looking at the blond standing before him in the raven's pajamas. "In the guest room across from my room. That was where you were _supposed_ to be staying. It should be clean; I don't think you ever even slept in that bed." Reaching behind him, the Uchiha pulled out the pillow that he had been resting on, offering it to the blond kitsune. "You might want this though. I took it from your room." He frowned as he realized that Naruto wasn't paying attention to him. "Naruto?" he asked, trying to snap the blond out of his daze. There was no response; the kitsune continued to stare at him dazedly. "Hey, dobe!"

Naruto jolted, staring at him through wide blue eyes. "Oh, um, right. My pillow."

Naruto walked over to the lounging teen, retrieving the slightly squashed pillow from his grasp.

"Thanks Sasuke. Good night," he said absentmindedly, leaning over and kissing the Uchiha directly on the mouth.

Sasuke couldn't help but make a startled sound at the unexpected kiss. Instantly Naruto seemed to snap back to himself, jumping away as he realized what he was doing. A look of horror dawned on his face as he backed away swiftly. "Sorry…I mean- um- I didn't… just…sorry." The last word was barely a whisper as Naruto turned tail and fled.

Sasuke sat still for a few seconds, stunned. Naruto…? Marking the page on his book, he set it down and stood, walking towards his room to process what had just happened.

'_Naruto… Naruto just kissed me. He kissed me. Does he have feelings for me? Or… is this just leftover feelings from when he was little? No, it can't be that, he's shown no signs of being affected by his time as a child. And he wouldn't have gotten so embarrassed if it was that. So, he's… attracted to me then? But am I attracted to him? Well… he's not bad. He's the one I'd rely on the most in a fight. Although that may not be a good way to decide if I like him. Hm… he's definitely not bad to look at. And he's my best friend. Isn't there assaying somewhere that the best thing that you can do is fall in love with your best friend? He's always the one that I look for first when our team meets. And I always feel happier when he's around. I'll even admit that I've never thought of the future without him in it… without him at my side.'_

Feeling reassured, Sasuke climbed into his bed, satisfied with his decision. '_I like him back. I want him. And what a Uchiha wants, he gets. Naruto is mine, and tomorrow I'll show him that.'_

~*~

The next morning, Sasuke rose late, tired from the events of the day before. Stretching luxuriously, he scratched the back of his head and padded out of his bedroom, heading towards the bathroom. Finishing his business quickly, he started towards the kitchen, pondering how to approach Naruto. Knowing his dobe he would probably try to laugh it off and forget about it. He couldn't let that happen.

The sound of pots and pans clanging reached his ears as he entered the kitchen. Naruto stood at the sink, scrubbing furiously at the frying pan in front of him. Rice was piled neatly into two bowls on the counter, waiting to be moved to the table. A plate with two _tamagoyaki _sat nearby, steam rising off of it and the two bowls of miso soup next to it.

Sasuke coughed quietly to gain Naruto's attention.

Naruto whirled around, eyes widening comically. Worry shone briefly in the ocean colored eyes before they closed and a grin was plastered across his face. "Ah, you're awake! I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day or something. I made breakfast. I thought that it was the least I could do after you took care of me."

Picking up the bowls of food, Naruto began rushing them to the table, refusing to look at Sasuke. The raven frowned. That wouldn't do…

Sasuke stepped up behind him as he finished putting the last dish on the table, wrapping his arms around him to hold him in place. He felt Naruto's breathe catch and the blonde's back stiffened against his chest.

"Dobe, don't be stupid. We need to talk."

Naruto stiffened even further before struggling briefly to escape the stoic teen's arms. Finding escape an impossibility, he turned his head and flashed Sasuke a brief, tense smile. "Talk? No, we don't need to talk. What do we need to talk about? We're just two friends sitting down to breakfast together-"

His voice choked off as a kiss was dropped onto the curve of his neck. "Shut up dobe."

Sasuke?" Naruto questioned weakly, trying to look into the other teen's eyes. Hurt showed clearly in the intense blue orbs. "Sasuke… please don't taunt me. I know what I did was wrong and I know I'm a freak for it. But please… please don't taunt me Sasuke, I _promise_ it won't effect me when we're on missions and I _promise_ to never touch you again, but… just please promise not to tell anyone."

Sasuke waited until the stream of words had trailed off before choosing to speak. "Dobe, shut up. If you're a freak for wanting it then so am I. And of course I plan to tell people. I expect to kiss you in public, to spend time with you. I expect to tell every person who stops to talk to us that you are _my_ boyfriend. I expect us to walk down the street hand-in-hand with you to tell them all to _back off_; because you're _mine_, Naruto."

Finishing his short speech, the Uchiha swiftly turned the blond kitsune around so that they were standing face to face and lowered his lips onto the other's. A short whine escaped Naruto at the contact and Sasuke began to swipe his tongue along the blonde's lip coaxingly. After a few repeated swipes Naruto got the message and opened his mouth, allowing for the invading tongue to enter and meeting it with his own.

Sasuke broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against Naruto's, staring directly into the cloudy blue eyes just below him. "Do you get it now dobe? I want a relationship with you. I don't want to hide it either; I want everyone to know that you're mine and mine alone. Understand?"

Naruto nodded dazedly before seeming to snap out of it and glared up at the Uchiha. "Wait a minute, what do you mean, _yours_? I refuse to be the girl in this relationship teme! If anyone should be the girl it should be you; you look more like a girl anyway!"

Sasuke gave his trademark smirk before lowering his mouth to the blonde's ear. _"We'll see."_

**AN: YES!!! It is finally done. Reiew please! They make my day.**


	9. Surprise!

**Surprise!**

***points to newest oneshot***

**To everyone who wanted a sequel or just wanted a bit more, here it is! It's been almost a year since Child No Jutsu was finished.**

**The oneshot is a brief glimpse at what is life is like for Sasuke and Naruto four years after the jutsu was lifted. I warn you, it's mostly fluff though.**

**Go check it out!**


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